IHLRD 12

Chapter 12

Suddenly showing up and sleeping next to me? Why is he even holding me like this?

I was confused.

I had countless questions I wanted to ask, and just as I parted my lips to speak again, Wishid’s voice flew down from above my head.

“Will you shut up already? You’re giving me a headache.”

Ah, yes sir.

My questions weren’t answered, but my life was precious, so I obediently kept my mouth shut.

After a while, I carefully lifted my head to look at Wishid. His tightly shut eyes showed no sign of movement, and his breathing and heartbeat were steady.

‘…Is he really asleep?’

Why is he hugging me?

Was it just a habit? Or was he holding me tight to stop me from escaping? Either way, his strong embrace was firm, like being pinned between narrow walls while trying to sleep.

How the hell am I supposed to sleep like this?

How can anyone sleep in the arms of a ticking time bomb?

I let out a deep sigh.

Sure, this place was definitely quieter than the room I was staying in. It was daytime, and no guards were stationed in the hallway near the room, so silence lingered in the air.

Should I just wait until Wishid wakes up? Ugh, seriously. How am I supposed to sleep in this situation?

I’m going to lose my mind… Keh-heuk!

Back in my room, I sat in a daze.

‘What was that.’

I blinked slowly, my eyes all swollen from how deeply I had slept.

‘…I slept really well.’

Like, suspiciously well?

All I had done all day was eat, lie down, and sleep, so I wasn’t lacking in rest or carrying any fatigue.

I fell asleep during the day and when I woke up, the sun was rising again. That meant I had slept long and hard.

Was it the sleeping incense?

“Oh! Mr. Squeak-squeak, you’re up early…”

Nana appeared, eyes half-closed.

She looked like she’d collapse at any moment. Today’s session would likely end quickly.

As I expected, Nana fell asleep standing not long after.

Used to this now, I slipped out of the room and made my way to the garden.

I tossed aside the loosely wrapped bandages and headed straight to the place where the golden egg was kept.

‘Wooooow…’

Once again, my eyes were glued to the shimmering golden egg, and I failed to notice the dark shadow creeping up behind me.

“What’s with the rat?”

As a strange voice rang out, a tugging sensation pulled at my back.

When I turned around, my eyes locked with a predator wearing a black mask.

Even just from a glance, I could tell—they were an assassin.

Their killing intent was completely unmasked, and my wretchedly weak body trembled from the sheer pheromonal pressure.

“Hey, hide your presence before the Duke comes!”

“He probably already knows and is preparing anyway.”

“Still… dammit, didn’t I tell you not to go near the altar?”

There was more than one of them.

Another person who seemed to be the assassin’s comrade approached.

“There’s a rat inside the altar.”

“A rat? What nonsense.”

The second assassin walked boldly toward the altar.

“See? There it is.”

“I told you not to go near it!”

The comrade blocked the path of the assassin trying to enter the altar.

“Are you nuts? If you go in there, you die instantly!”

“But look at it! The rat’s just sitting there.”

“Did you hit your head? What rat would… huh, there is one?”

“But that rat…”

Their eyes focused on me, but they looked dazed.

“…Doesn’t it look delicious?”

“Uh… yeah, kind of. But tsk, you can’t go in there. You really trying to die?”

“You really believe all that? That egg’s probably fake too. If it were real, why hasn’t it hatched yet?”

…Is that so? Yeah, maybe they’re right. There’s no way that’s real. No way.

They didn’t seem stronger than Sioran, but I definitely couldn’t handle them. Especially not two of them. My body froze in place.

‘No!’

I clenched my eyes shut helplessly as their hands slowly reached toward me.

“We’ve compiled a list of individuals who might have connections with Reynold.”

The ongoing tension had been present for so long that it was strange anyone was only just now noticing.

Kaiman placed the documents before Wishid and continued his report.

“One common trait among them is that they’re not part of Lord Sioran’s faction.”

Not all the elders supported Sioran.

Sioran, though a Black Mamba, lacked the dignity prized by the aged and arrogant elders, and his behavior resembled that of a thug.

The elders, well aware that Sioran’s conduct was a form of rebellion against them for driving out his birth mother in his youth, could only wring their hands in frustration.

There were ten elders. Two supported Sioran, six supported Wishid, and the remaining two were considered neutral.

But Wishid had corrected that last part.

The so-called “neutral” two were actually helping Reynold behind the scenes.

“Lord Wishid, has your sleep improved?”

Wishid had suffered from insomnia for years.

No matter how much sleeping incense he used, it never relieved his fatigue.

He only managed to fall asleep when his body was pushed to the brink of exhaustion, collapsing into unconsciousness.

But today, Wishid looked slightly more rested. It was subtle, but the dark circles under his eyes—which had grown deeper day by day—seemed just a little lighter.

“Does it look like it?”

“Yes, sir.”

Wishid brushed his cheek.

He suddenly remembered the little rat and had impulsively taken it to bed with him.

The reason was simple.

He was tired.

Even though he knew sleep wouldn’t come, lying down with his eyes closed had long become a habit.

But this time, like magic, he had fallen asleep.

It had been a long time since he’d slept so well. Perhaps the new sleeping incense worked wonders.

“It resolved itself just fine.”

Kaiman accepted the vague answer without questioning it.

There hadn’t been any reports of dead bodies piling up, so it must have resolved peacefully.

“We caught a spy yesterday. A new recruit, caught before he could act, so there’s no damage.”

“Where?”

“The Duchy of Persia.”

Since the tournament was approaching, the noble houses were busy monitoring each other. More precisely, it was the Duchy of Persia—natural enemies of the Black Mambas and eagle beastkin—who were frantic.

They constantly sent assassins and spies to poke at Wishid’s nerves.

“They really haven’t improved their tactics.”

With a sigh, Wishid lazily rolled onto his side.

Soon, the assassins from Persia would arrive.

They wouldn’t even scratch his scales, of course, but it was still annoying.

[“You can look forward to this one.”]

He remembered the grinning, ugly face of the Duke of Persia from their last meeting and felt his mood sour.

“They’ll be here soon.”

“Yes, sir. Shall I go out ahead of time?”

It had become a routine occurrence, so Kaiman was prepared.

“Go ahead. We should teach them a lesson. As if it wasn’t bad enough they broke in through the window instead of using the perfectly good door…”

He was still debating whether to go out and wait himself as he looked out the window.

“…?”

Wishid couldn’t believe his eyes.

There’s no way the little rat should be outside, let alone in the garden.

But it wasn’t a hallucination.

That fluffy white puffball darting across the garden was unmistakably the little rat.

“Lord Wishid?”

Kaiman blinked.

In a flash, Wishid threw open the window and jumped out.

Kaiman, momentarily stunned, rushed to the window.

Wishid landed perfectly and began walking calmly toward something. As Kaiman followed his gaze, his eyes widened in shock.

‘That’s…’